Starter for prime movers.



w. S. CARPENTER, In.

STARTER FOR PRIME IVIOVIERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE B. I9I2.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- @menton W. S. CARPENTER, 1R.

STARTER FOR PRIME IVIOVERS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 8,1912.

y229 8% Patented June 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS--SHEET 2.

i I m I I Imlll' II I I I'1 1||""| I IIIIIIIIIII MM I I .I

IIII I I I I I II rin sanas narnia marcia.

WALTER S. ARPENTER, JR., 0F WILIVINGTON, DELAWARE, ASSGNOR T0 E. I. DU PONT DE '.BTEMG'URS POWDER COMPANY, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A. CORVPORATON 0F New amasar.

STARTER FOR PRIME ll/IOVERS.

Leanser.. i

To all whom t may concern:

Be `it known that l, WALTER S. CARPEN- TER, Jr., of Wilmington, in the county of New Castle, and in the State of Delaware, have invented a certain new and useful lmprovement in Starters for Prime Movers, and do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.'

shaft, or one related to such shaft; that` it shall provide for the moving of such piston by the explosion of a mixture having vany i. of the three physical states, or .the expansive force of any compressed gas; that it shall permit the use of the expansive force'of ordinary explosives, such as gunpowder, and especially in 'the vconvenient form of gun cartridges, and that it shall be relatively simple and practically automatic in its operation, and` to such ends my invention consists in the means for starting prime movers hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a side view of one embodimentl of my invention, the lower half being in elevation, and the upper half in section on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2; Fig. 2 is an end View, the lower half being in elevation and the upper half being in sec- 'tion on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional line 3 3 of Fig. 2; v l `Fig. 4: is a top plan View; and l Fig. 5 is a sectional view of themagazine and adjacent partis, showing how the shell may be blown out after it hasbeen fired.

view on the While l havechosenas the best embodiment of my invention known to me, the embodiment thereof shown in the drawings,

it is to be understood that such embodiment' .is-typical only of many possible embodi- Speeication oi' Letters Pateizit. Patgjl'tjfgdl Jun@ 112, 1917 application mea June e, lele. serial no. roasts. i l

ments, and that my' invention is not to be confined to the particular embodiment, but

also includes the principles and ideas underlying that embodiment, and which are capable of embodiment in many different forms.

The illustratedembodiment is intended especially for application to an explosive engine ofthe ordinary type lused on automo biles, consisting of a piston and cylinder, or a series of pistons and cylinders, connected with the crank shaft l. I have fastened on the said shaft, as by keying, a member 2 to which my starter is to apply its power, such member in the present instance being a brake-disk or wheel. A cas-l ing 3 is mounted on the shaft and, at least during the starting operation, is held from rotation with the said shaft, as by being fastened to a stationary part" of the automobile. rlhe said casing preferably has a bushing 4 with end plates la and 4b to provide against wear by the shaft. Said frame preferably consists of a hub 5 carrying a disk 6, and having at its outer edge `a flange 7.

Vwill cease to operate, so that the rmember 8 may.v remain at rest, exceptwhen it is actually starting the engine. In the present instance l have illustrated the connection between the members 8 and 2 as that of the band 9 passes loosely around the disk 2 and has its ends secured, as by pins l0 and 11, to a leve'r`12, which is pivoted at its outer end to the member 8. The piston disk carries a saddle part in the form ofv an annular rib 8al supporting a flange 8a', which flange supports an outer end of the pintle of the levers l2 and also serves as a guide to keep the outer lever 12 in position. As the pins 10 -well-known brake or friction band. The y and'11 are at diii'erent radial distances from.

the 'ulcrum of theV lever, when vthe member 8 carries forward the :fulcrum of the member 8, the lever swings and draws thev ends :01? the bands relatively in opposite direc" tions, thus` causing Ait to shorten and `to -grip M ward, but,'upon stopping the member 8, the' brake band is automaticall loosened by the swinging of .the inner en vof the memberforward, thus leaving the two members free .from each other. mi member 8 tov its initial position, after the motor has been started, a spring, such as the coil spring 13, connects it with the plate 4, which is attached to the stationary hub' of the frame, one end. of the spring being an mounted on the pin 14 on the member 2, and 1 the other endl of the spring being mounted on the pin 15 on thesaid plate 4", the coil i of the spring passing\ around the hub of the member 8. Y

In order to avoid any possibilityl of -a dead center in-iny-starter', I wish to cause the piston, whichI use to move the member Y 8, to' travel about the shaft, instead of 'toward and from it.' Forthat purpose I have so formed an annular piston chamber 16 in the frame, which may be of any desired shape in cross-section.` In the present instance it is rectangular in cross-section. In the. said chamber is a' piston 17 which, for a reason to be later explained, is preferably slightly smaller than the cross-section of the l said chamber. The said piston is carried onthe member 8, and 'for that purpose the annu-1v lar piston cylinder is formed .as a groove in e0 the flange 7,.so that its outer wall and its.

right-hand wall', Aas seen in. Fig. 2, are'` formed inthe said iiange, and its left-hand, wall is formed byv the facel of the frame.r

This leaves the bottom or inner wall of they 45. groove open. vInforder to` close thevopen bottom ofthe annular piston cylinder, so

that gases lmay not escapev through it, I preferably make the member 8 in the form of a .disk whose radius is that which the innei' wall-or bottom would have if it were present. A ring 18 is screwed Ainside of thel .lange, vhaving a screw-thread engagement 19, and this ringretainsthe piston disk 8 in its position against-the face of the frame,

and also tends to prevent the -escape -of gas u along the face ofthe said'disk 8.. B'y this:

Vconstruction 'the piston can be carried by the disk and can travel throughout lthe length of itsannularcylinder, and yetxtheA B0 piston "is maintained s'uiiciently gas-tightfor my purposes by 'means ,of the disk-8 yclosing-the innerwall and forming the bottom of the said cylinder.

In order to close'one .end of the cylinder such as are used for fire-arms. nism for suchv purpose can be exceedingly In order to return the` tridges.

fof the rin its other ace is engaged by a ring 23 which v slips over and is secured to the outer periph feryof -the flange,l thus retaining andA conl `iining the magazine ring.` The'ring 23 has l f itsouter periphery the magazine has a seprovided with a hook adapted to engage a shoulder on the upper-end of the Ahammer so lthat when thelever is moved to the left, as lseen in Fig. 2,' the hammer will be retracted and then tripped and allowed to be forced l.propelling gases may react, Iyform a block l rame and extending across the yan explosive mixture with any of the three physical forms, that is, solid, liquid or gas, eous. To enablev my starter to utilize the most convenient form vof explosive known 75 to me, I have adapted it for 'using cartridges, The mechasimple and easy to operate. Y

, For this purposel I provide a block to 8@ carry vthe cartridge and preferably in the form yof'an annular magazine 21, the saidA lmagazine'- having a series of chambers 22 j 'formed therein adapted to receive 'car- The magazine preferably bears or 85 is. journaled upon thel ring 18, and one face bearsxagainst the flange 7', while` an opening which is closed by a plug 24 to permitthe introduction of cartridges into the chambers 22 to loadj'the magazine.. On

. ries of teeth'or notches .25 'by which it can i.

vbe. moved and by "which itvca-n also beheld in adjusted position. vTo move the maga- 'zinea bar 26is.provided, which is guided as by slots-.formed 1 in a bracket 27v that `is'lo() fastened to .the ring 23. The said bar carv Aries a pawl 28 'whichvis pressed towardthe magazine ring by a spring 29,;f'astened to the bar 26, as by screws' 30.. The bar 26 can be moved .in 'one direction manually, and is 105 automatically returned in the reverse direction by a'spring-BWH` f In order to iire the cartridge, the follow' ing mechanismisrprovided: The usual retracted firing-pin Slis mounted in the ring 23 and is adapted to be struckby a hammer 34 pivoted on a xed part, the upper end of the. hammer being pressed outward by a spring-pressed bolt 35. A 'cooking bar 36 is against the firingpin by the spring-pressed' 120 bolt 35.` `In order toretract the cooking bar, y

it is provided with apin 37 preferably A having an anti-friction roller on it, which roller is .seatedin and moved byk aslot 38 .A

`in' a plate 39, .theflatter being carried in 125 unison with the Ibar 26, as by a -post' 40 connecting them. Whe'iithe bar 39 moves, its

cam'y slot. 38 will retract ythe cocking'bar 36 causing it to trip the hammer. .f 6g and 'form an abutment against which the For the purpose ofejecting the cartridge, 13o

naaaeaa a pipe 41 connects the annular piston cylinder, at a point near the eXhaust port 42, with a port 43 which is in line with the position occupied by the cartridge shell after it has been red and a new cartridge has been moved into position. ,A

-For the purpose of stopping the piston, after it has done its work, a bu'er, which in the present instance is shown in the form of a rubber block 44, is mounted next the abutment block 20.

In the operation of the illustrated embodiment of my starter, the rod 26 is pressed to the right, as seen in Fig, moving the magazine one step, a spring-pressed center-` ing pin 45 rising out of one of the peripheral notches on the magazine and dropping into another during this operation, thus holding the magazine with a cartridge in line with the passage 46 opening between the abutment and the piston. The movement of the bar 26 cocks the hammer and releases it, after the magazine. has been moved and positioned, and the hammer thus explodes the cartridge. The gases of combustion rush through the passage 46 (a cartridge being in line with the passage 46) and propel the piston to theleft, as seen in Fig. 1, causing it to travel around its annular passage until it has passed the exhaust port 42, at which point the' gases exhaust, some of the gases just previously having passed through the pipe 41 and out through the port 43, ejecting the previously fired empty shell (which has been moved to a position opposite the said port 43), the shell being blown out through a hole in the casing 23, as shown in Fig. 5, the casing being complete at either point to prevent escape of the shells. The piston continues until it strikes the buffer, and its force having been spent, it is returned by the coil spring 13 to initialposition, the piston preferably being slightly loose so as not to 'trap air or gases behind it. rlhe travel of the piston,

carrying with it the disk 8, causes the friction `band to grip the friction disk and thus causes the shaft 1 to be turned, starting the engine so that it may continue under its own power. v p,

lt will be seen that my invention provides a very convenient'means for starting automobile engines and other prime movers. As

the explosion of a cartridge is easy and cer- Itain, my starter can valways be counted on and does not become inactive through the leakage of compressed air or gas, or some other' defect with other forms of stored-up power. It is to be understood, however, that the principles of my invention are many and are applicable to other forms of power than that of a cartridge.

1,. In a starter for prime movers, the combination of a shaft, a casing having an annular cylinder formed therein, a disk loosely mounted on said shaft and entering said cylinder through a slot, ka piston in said cylinder carried by said disk, an abutment in said cylinder, a friction wheel fast on said shaft, a clutch-strap and lever, the strap surrounding said wheel, and the lever being connected to said disk.

2./ In a starter for prime movers, the combination of a shaft, a casing having an annular cylinder formed therein, a disk loosely mounted on said shaft and entering said cylinder through a slot, a piston in said cylinder carried by said disk, an abutment in said cylinder, a friction wheel fast on said shaft, a clutch-strap and lever, the strap surrounding said wheel, the lever being connected to said disk, and an exhaust port in said cylinder on the opposite side of said piston from said abutment, said piston loosely iitting said cylinder.

3. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, means for holding and exploding a cartridge, means for conducting the gases of combustion between said piston and abutment, and means for admitting said gases to eject a previously discharged cartridge.- y

4. A starter for-prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a clutch connection between said piston and said shaft,an annular magazine adapted to contain cartridges, means for holding one chamber `of said magazine in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, means for ring a cartridge in said chamber, and means for advancing said magazine to bring a fresh cartridge into firing position, said means for advancing being connected with said firing means so as to be operated thereby.

5. A starter forv prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a clutch` connection between said piston and said shaft, an annular magazine adapted to contain cartridges, means for holding one chamber of said magazine in line with a .passage leading between said piston and abutment, means for firing a carsal los

tridge in said chamber, and means for conductin the gases of combustion yto the position o the previously discharged cartridge to eject the latter.

6. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said said cylinder, a clutch connection between` said piston and said shaft, an annular maga-l zine concentric with said shaft and adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine being provided with a series of shoulders, means to engage said shoulders to position a cartridge in line with a passage lead-v ing between said piston and abutment, a

partadapted to be manually moved and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine, and means forring said cartridge',A said magazine advancing means comprising a bar manuallymovable against spring-pressure, and having-a spring-pawl adapted to engage said shoulders on said magazine.

a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment Vin said cylinder, a clutch. connection between said piston and said shaft, an annular magazine concentric with said shaft and adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine being provided with' a series of.l shoulders, means to engage said shoulders to position ay cartridge in line with a passage-leading between said piston and abutment, a part ,A

adapted to be manuallyv moved, and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine, and means for firing a cartridge,

said meanscomprising a bar manually movable against,spring-pressure and having a spring-pawl adapted to engage said shoulders on rsaid magazine, said firing means or trip-'- ping said hammer and connections between comprisingza hammer and a part I said parts and said'bar.

9. A starter for prime movers, Vcomprising a shaft', `an annular cylinder concentric with said-shaft,'a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, af clutch connection between said piston and said shaft, an annular magazine concentric with` said shaft and. adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine being provided with a series of shoulders,

means to engage' said shoulders to position a cartridge in line witha passage leading between said piston and abutment, a part adapted to be manually moved, and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine,.means for firing a cartridge, said. f means comprlsing a barl manually movable' against spring-pressure and having a springpawl adapted'to engage said shoulders on said magazine, said firing means comprising vby said cam slot.v v

8. A starter for prime movers, comprisingl 11. A starter forpr'ime movers, compris-- fing a hammer and apart for tripping said ham-i parts and n 10. A starter for prime movers, compris v ing a shaft, an annular cylinder .concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a clutch connectionl between l said plston and said shaft, an annular magazine concentric with said-shaft, means for yieldingly holding said magazine with one of its chambers in line with a passage-leading betweenl said piston and abutment, said magazine having shoulders formed thereon, a spring-pressed bar slidably mounted tanvgentially to said magazine and carrying a pawl adapted to. engage said shoulders, a hammer adapted to engage the cartridge in operative position, a tripping bar'movable transversely to said spring-pressed bar for tripping said hammer, a part carried by said spring-pressed bar and having a cam slot and a pin on' said tripping bar and engaged inga shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a clutch connection between said'piston and said shaft, an annular magaa spring-pressed bar slidably mounted tan-v gentially to saidA magazine and carrying a pawl adapted to 'engage said shoulders, a` y 105 hammer adaptedto engage the cartridge in operativeposition, a tripping bar movable ltransverselyto said spring-pressed bar'v for tripping said hammer', a part carried by said spring-pressedbar vand having a cam slot anda pin onsaidtrippingbar and engaged cartridge' previously red.

combination of a shaft, a cylinder and piston between said-piston and said shaft, ,a magazine for carrying a; plurality of cartridges,

means for positioning said magazine so that one of said cartridges shall' communlcate -with the passagel between said piston and abutment, and a passage for conveying lthezine concentric lwith saidshaft, means for 12.` ln a starter forprime movers, the

for starting saidy shaft, a clutchconnection -v i combination of a shaft, a frame having a o surface perpendicular to the shaftand havingan annular flange parallel to the shaft, `r

a piston disk bearing against said rst men- Jin' by said'cam slot, and a passage for conveygases from said, cylinder to,A eject the y tioned disk and within said flange, a piston on the edge of said disk, and a ring adapted to be screwed within said flange to inclose said piston disk.

14. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to contain cartridges, means for holding one chamber of said magazine in line with a passage leading between said piston andV abutment, means for firing a cartridge in said ch'amber, and means for advancing said magazine to bring a fresh kcartridge into firing position, said means for advancing being connected with said firing means so as to be operated thereby.

15. A starter for prime mpvers, comprising a shaft, an annularcylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to contain cartridges, means for holding one cham- A ber of said magazine in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, means for firing a cartridge in said chamber, and means for conducting the gases of combustion to the position of the previously discharged cartridge to eject the latter.

16. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine lbeing provided with a series of shoulders,

means to engage said shoulders to position a cartridge in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, a part adapted to be manually moved and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine, and means for firing said cartridge.

17. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine being provided with a series of shoulders, means to engage said shoulders to position a cartridge in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, a part adapted to be manually moved and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine, and means for firing said cartridge, said magazine advancing means comprising a bar manually movable against spring-pressure, and having a spring-pawl adapted to engage said shoulders on said magazine.

18. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to carry alseries of cartridges, said magazine' ing means for engaging and advancing saidy magazine, andmeans for firing a cartridge, said means comprisinga bar manually movable against spring-pressure and'having a spring-pawl adapted to engage said shoulders on sa'id magazine, said firing means comprising ahammer and a part for tripping said hammer and connections between said parts and said bar.

19. A starter for prime movers, comprising a shaft, an ,annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine adapted to carry a series of cartridges, said magazine being provided with a series of shoulders, means to engage said shoulders to position a cartridge in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, apart adapted to be manually moved, and carrying means for engaging and advancing said magazine, means for ring a cartridge, said means comprising a bar manually movable against spring-pressure and having a springpawladapted to engage said shoulders on y said magazine, said firing means comprising a hammer and a part for tripping said hammer and connections between said parts and said bar, said connections consisting of.

a plate carried -by said bar and having a cam-slot therein and a pin on said tripping part and engaged by said cam.

20. A starter for prime movers, compris' transversely to said spring-pressed bar for4 tripping said hammer, a part carried lby said spring-pressed bar and having a cam slot and a pin on said tripping bar and engaged by said cam slot.

21. A starter for prime'movers, comprising a shaft, an annular cylinder concentric with said shaft, a piston and an abutment in said cylinder, a magazine, means for yieldingly holding said magazine with one of its chambers in line with a passage leading between said piston and abutment, said magazine having shoulders formed thereon, a spring-pressed bai' slidably mounted tangentially to said magazine and carrying a pawl adapted to engage said shoulders, a hammer adapted to engage the cartridge in operative position, a tripping bar movable 'les lll@

Hit'

transversely to said spring-pressed bar for tripping said hammer7 a part Carried by said spring-pressed bar and having a 1Cam slot and a pin on said tripping bar and enn testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand.

WALTER ST CARPENTER, JR.

Witnesses: l

/ G. ROY EATON,

R. R. M. CARPENTER. 

